1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an intelligent window heat control system for a vehicle, e.g. but not limited to an aircraft, and more particularly, to a control sensor or sensor system for an aircraft including, among other things, a sensor that is physically attached to the measurement component or target, and a sensor evaluation unit that provides intelligent data processing to arrive at a conclusion or measurement result of the performance of an article of the aircraft, e.g. but not limited to a heatable member of an aircraft windshield, and optionally to take action to alter current flow to the heatable member based on the measurement result.
2. Presently Available Technology
At the present time windows or transparencies for vehicles, e.g. but not limited to windshields for aircrafts have sensors to determine performance of the windshield and a control system to take action when the performance of the windshield is operating outside of acceptable operating limits to prevent damage to the windshield. A detailed discussion of transparencies, e.g. but not limited to aircraft windshields having sensors and control systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,155,816 and 8,383,994, and USPPA '531. U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,155,816 and 8,383,994 in their entirety are hereby incorporated by reference.
For purposes of this invention, the sensors operating on an article, e.g. but not limited to a windshield, are considered to include two components or sub-operating systems. For purposes of clarity, one component or sub-operating system of the sensor is referred to as the “sensory portion” of the sensor, and the second component or second sub-operating system is referred to as the “evaluation unit” of the sensor. The sensory portion is effected by the changes to the article or component under observation, e.g. but not limited to heating the heatable member of a windshield to remove snow, ice and fog from outer surface of the windshield, and the sensory portion forwards a signal, usually but not limited to an electric signal, to the evaluation unit. The evaluation unit acts on the signal from the sensory portion to monitor operating condition of the article or component, and forwards a signal, usually an electric signal, representing the operating condition of the article to a control system.
When the article is operating within acceptable limits, it is expected that the sensory portion, and/or the evaluation unit, indicates that no action is to be taken; however, when the article is operating outside of acceptable limits, action is taken by the heater controller, e.g. but not limited to disconnecting the heatable member and its electrical power source from one another to prevent damage to the windshield and/or the aircraft.
One of the limitations of the presently available system is that the sensory portion, and the evaluation unit, are mounted on the article, e.g. but not limited to a windshield, being monitored. Although the present practice is acceptable, there are limitations. More particularly, each windshield must have a sensory portion mounted on the article with the evaluation unit also mounted on the article. As can now be appreciated, it would reduce the cost of the windshield if the performance measuring portion of the sensor was mounted on the aircraft instead of the windshield. Additionally, in some cases it may be possible to monitor the status of the article without a sensory portion connected to the article, using remote measurement methods. In this manner, an evaluation unit mounted on the aircraft can be assigned to service a particular windshield position, and the sensory portion of a windshield mounted in the particular windshield position is connected to the performance measuring portion assigned to service the particular windshield position. With the above arrangement, the need to provide each windshield with an evaluation unit is eliminated.